My Story: An American Wizard at Hogwarts
by Adrian Michaels
Summary: An American student's 5th year at Hogwarts. The Dark Lord has risen, and the world is changing. Will friends and relationships change with it? Features: NonCanon Characters, 'Slash' Relationships.
1. Chapter 1

The clock at Platform 9 ¾ chimed for the half hour. He was late! The train was arriving in 15 minutes, and he promised that he would be here early so we could have some time before all the students got here. I looked around the platform. It was mostly empty, with only a few kids standing around with their luggage. A handful of parents, including my own, chatted in the corner. I could hear their laughing from the bench where I was sitting. Sighing, I checked my watch again…two minutes late, where could he be?

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" A familiar voice behind me asked. I paused, and then turned around just in time to be kissed full on the lips. We lingered for a moment, and then broke free. "I'm so sorry I'm late, but the Dursleys were running a bit behind, and didn't seem to care if I got here or not." Harry said to me, his green eyes sparkling.

"Well," I replied, still flushed from the kiss, "If you continue to greet me in such a manner, I shall always forgive your tardiness." We both laughed, and Harry pulled me in for a hug. I sighed, reveling in the perfect moment. It was so long since I had seen him. Summer had been miserable, but we were together again.

There was a squeal from over in the corner, and Harry and I both turned to look. My mother had spotted the two of us together, and scurried over to say hello. "Harry darling, how are you!" she cried, her British accent slightly dulled from years of living in the states. "You're getting so tall! I should put a brick on your head."

"Hello Mrs. Michaels, how are you?" Harry replied politely. I smiled. He was being such a good boyfriend. "And yes, I did grow, but I still have a ways before I catch up with Adrian." It was true. I still towered over him by about three inches, a fact that I would have to gloat about later.

" Pfft." My mother dismissed with a wave of her hand, "You're tall enough my dear. Adrian gets his figure from his father. They're both freakish like that." Harry and my mother both laughed at this, and I rolled my eyes. Mom always was a hit with my friends. "Roger? Roger come here!" she called to my father, who was still with the other parents. "Harry is here, and you need to say hello!"

My father dismissed himself from the circle and made his was over to us. Mom was right; I did get my height from him. I also had his hazel eyes and lighter skin tone. My dark hair came from my mother, and I shared her sharp nose. Harry would probably say I got my personality from her as well. I did like to laugh, and I could be over bubbly at times.

"Hello there Harry, I hope the summer's treated you well." My father said, nodding to him.

"Well sir, it could have been worse, but I'm glad it's over." Harry responded. "There's so much more for me at Hogwarts that I couldn't wait to get back. That and I was spending too much time away from Adrian." I blushed a little at his words. He was so sweet sometimes. My parents both beamed. They couldn't be happier for Harry and me.

My mother glanced over my shoulder and squeaked again. It was met with an almost identical noise of excitement. I turned to see my aunt and uncle entering the platform. Behind them was my cousin, her luggage in tow. My mother rushed off to greet her sister, and my father, after nodding once more to Harry and me, followed suit.

My cousin made her way over to us, still tugging a large duffel bag. She was all red faced and huffy. "Well there, Hermione," Harry asked her, "What's in the bag, a dead body?"

"This bag," Hermione said, dropping it with a thump, "Just so happens to be filled with the books that I read this summer. I thought that Adrian would like to read them."

"Well, what a coincidence." I said, pointing to my luggage, "That big bag contains all the books I thought you would want to read!" Hermione and I both laughed, but Harry groaned.

"You two are TOO much alike!" he cried. "What are you going to do, spend the whole school year reading?"

"Well, I'm not sure how much time we're going to have to do that." Hermione said, suddenly serious. "We've got our O.W.L.'s to study for this year, and I'm sure that will take up most of lives." I glanced over at Harry, knowing what he was thinking. How could this girl possibly be thinking of schoolwork already? He met eyes with me, but I just shrugged. The truth be told, I too had been considering what that tests were going to involve. I almost jumped when a train whistle pierced the air. I turned to see the Hogwarts Express glide up to the platform.

"I hate to run," Hermione told us, looking at her watch, "But I have to go meet up with the other prefects. Ron said he would be meeting me there." She giggled, and I knew what that meant. Hermione had had a crush on Ron Weasley since our first year. She had confided in me a few months ago, even though I had it all figured out by then.

"We'll save you a seat on the train," Harry told her. Hermione kissed us both goodbye on the cheek, and ran off towards the front of the train.

The whistle sang out again, letting everyone know that it was time to start boarding. My parents came back over to see Harry and Me, and I could see that my mother was starting to cry. I sighed. I've been going to Hogwarts for 5 years now and she still gets all emotional.

"Don't worry Mum, er Mom" I said, correcting myself. I was never all the comfortable with the British version. "It will be Christmas before you know it, and you said you were going to try to make it to a Quidditch match or two." I got a hug from both of my parents and was happy to see that Harry did too.

"Now boys, I want you to keep an eye on each other." My father said. "Study hard, and make sure to see your professors for help if you need it. That's what they're there for." I rolled my eyes. My father was a history professor at a Midwestern college, and he treated all academics as if there were at a university level. Harry and I promised him that we would and with a final goodbye, we made our way onto the train.

Harry and I found an empty compartment on the train, and made ourselves comfortable. We left the door open, and waved to our friends as they passed. Seamus ran down the aisle, with Dean chasing him. I smiled, listening to laughter everywhere. Everyone seemed happy to be going back to school, and I couldn't blame them. Hogwarts and the rest of the magical world was where I belonged, and I couldn't wait to return.

"Hey, Ade," Harry said, nudging me, "I've got to go talk to Angelina Johnson about starting up Quidditch practice. I'll be back in a bit." He gave me a peck on the cheek and waved goodbye, sliding the compartment door closed behind him. Being alone gave me time to think about all the things that had happened over the years.

All of this started five years ago, when I visited Hermione over the summer. I was eleven at the time, and absolutely jazzed to be making the trip to England on my own. Hermione and I had a fantastic time and we didn't want the summer to end. A few days before I was to return home, Hermione and I got our Hogwarts letters. Obviously, having come from muggle families, we didn't believe it at first. There was really no such thing as magic, right?

The day after we received our letters, Professor McGonagall came to Hermione's house. She visited with my aunt and uncle for a time, and told me that another professor was meeting with my parents in the U.S. Then she met with me and Hermione, offering to answer any questions that we might have. I asked McGonagall why I got a letter to Hogwarts instead of an American school. She said that because the transition from the muggle to wizarding world is sometimes difficult, it was decided that Hermione and I should attend school together. She believed that we would be better adjusted if we had each other. The professor also went on the boast about British school and how it was more disciplined, but I think she was joking…

When we got to school, I was blown away by the wonder of it all. Magic was something I had always dreamed about, and I couldn't believe that I was actually going to learn it! As it turned out, both Hermione and I were pretty adept at our studies, something that made a few of the kids from magical families jealous. It was during that first year that I became close friends with Harry, and we began to realize that there was something more to our friendship.

I had known I was gay since I was about 8 years old. To me, there was nothing wrong with my attractions to other boys, and I didn't really care to hide it. Luckily, my parents were very supportive, and they never tried to change me. I spent most of my childhood out and proud, and expected to do the same at Hogwarts.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I found out about the magical world's attitude towards homosexuality. They believed that all relationships were equal, and treated each one with the same amount of respect. This was exactly the environment I had hoped for, and I thrived in it.

Harry came out to me our third year at Hogwarts. While it was nothing I was surprised about, I was shocked to find that he had feelings for me. I told him that I had felt the same way about, and it sparked a relationship. Hermione was crying with happiness when we told her and said that she had, "been worrying that we weren't going to just hook up and get it over with." Ron was equally as supportive, though he was a little worried that he was going to lose his best friend. Harry and I both assured him that things would only change for the better.

When the Daily Prophet got wind of our relationship, they went a little crazy. Dubbed 'The Boy Who Lived' and 'The One He Lives For', Harry and I had to spend a bit of time dodging photographers as they tried to snap pictures of us together. However, the media eventually died down, and with the exception of the occasional story about us in the gossip section, we have a pretty normal relationship.

I snapped back into reality when the compartment door slid open. I turned, expecting to see Harry. Instead, Draco Malfoy was leaning against the doorframe, polishing his prefect badge.

"Afternoon, Michaels", Draco said, in his usual drawl.

"Draco." I replied. I didn't use his last name when addressing him. Draco and I didn't have the longstanding feud that Harry, Ron and Hermione shared with him. To be quite honest, I wasn't sure why. He had every reason to hate me, considering I was a Gryffindor and muggle-born AND dating his biggest rival. "I trust that summer treated you well?"

"Meh," he said, waving his hand. "I don't have much time here, Michaels, and I wanted to ask you something before your lover boy showed up and ruined it all." He ran a hand through his blonde hair. I wasn't sure if he was trying to tempt me or not. (No one really knew Draco's orientation, so it was always up for debate…)

"Well then make it quick, Draco," I told him. I wasn't being rude, just stressing the point that I wasn't going to fall for his flirtations. "What is it you want to ask me?"

"You and I are taking the same Ancient Runes class this year. I was wondering if maybe you wanted to get together and study sometime. I'm pretty good at the class, but sometimes I have troubles with the translations."

I raised my eyebrows at him. We may get along, but this seemed to be pushing it. What reason could Draco Malfoy possibly have to get close to me? Was he trying to get inside information about Harry? If so, he wasn't going to get any.

"Well, I'll have to talk to Harry about it first." I told Draco, who didn't seem to like the idea at all. "I'm not going to go behind his back on this, but if he says it's ok, I see no problem with it. Now, you better get going before someone sees you."

"Ah. It's just like I figured." Draco said, seeming disappointed. "You won't do anything unless you get permission from Potter, will you? You're terribly whipped, Michaels, and that doesn't suit you at all." Then, before I could say anything to defend myself, he left, whipping his robes as he turned.

I was somewhat stunned by the conversation. Did Draco Malfoy just make a pass at me? ME? Adrian Michaels, the boy who's dating the 'Boy Who Lived'? It just didn't make sense. I hoped that there weren't any ulterior motives, but I couldn't be sure. Harry and Draco just had too much bad history.

Harry had returned a short while later, followed by Ron and Hermione. It was great how we fell back into our old routines as a group. Ron would make horrific jokes that made Hermione squirm. I would laugh at Hermione, knowing how she was SO uptight about things. Harry caught my eye, and we shared a glance. In that moment, we both knew what that other was thinking. We were home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?"

I quickly snapped awake from my nap, knocking my head against the back of the compartment seat. Looking to find the source of the voice, I was startled to find a middle aged witch standing in the doorway with her cart of assorted candy. She smiled at me, looking a little apologetic that she woke me up. "Would you like to buy anything from the trolley?" She asked again, now that she had my full attention.

"Um…" I glanced around the compartment. Hermione had dozed off while reading a book, and Harry was sprawled across the bench we where sharing, his head resting on my leg. He was snoring slightly. Ron was no where to be found, and had probably left to find some of our other friends after we fell asleep. "I think I'm alright ma'am," I said to the trolley witch. She smiled, and continued her way down the aisle, selling her candy.

I looked down at Harry, and gently brushed his dark hair away from his eyes. My fingers grazed the famous lightening bolt scar on his forehead. It was the scar that had shaped his destiny and made him well-known throughout the magical world. I shuddered when I thought of how something so unassuming had changed his life. All the things he had been through, especially last year's Triwizard Tournament were so traumatic. It was so hard watching him suffer through Cedric's death, especially since there was nothing I could say to take the pain away. The school year ended right after it happened, sending me back to the States, and Harry to the Dursley's. With the distance between us, it was impossible to provide comfort. Now we were back together, and things would be alright. But now, Draco was thrown into the picture… where was his part in all of this?

My attention was drawn away from Harry when Hermione started to stir. She stretched, and put the book she was reading back into her bag. She looked over at me, saw Harry still sleeping, and smiled. Her smile quickly turned to worry. "What's wrong?" she whispered to me, "You don't look well." Leave it to Hermione, my best friend (besides Harry of course) to immediately discover that something was up.

I told her what had happened with Draco. She suddenly looked very stern, and straightened up in her seat. "Well it's all a trick obviously" she said, with a hint of anger in her voice, "Think about it Adrian, you're a muggle-born. That alone has been the cause of grief between us and Malfoy. Combined with your other attributes—including the one in your lap—and he should have every reason to despise you. I find it very peculiar that Malfoy would suddenly come to you asking for homework help."

"Yes, I suppose that is strange" I agreed with Hermione. It shouldn't be happening. Still, there was something very sincere about Draco's visit; I just couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Besides," Hermione continued, "If I remember correctly, you're rather wretched at Ancient Runes anyway." This was not true, but my dear cousin knew it would get a rise out of me. However, not wanting to wake Harry, I resigned to flashing an obscene gesture. "If your mother knew the way you treated me…" Hermione cried in mock despair, then quickly giggled.

"Well, I guess you're right about Dra- I mean, Malfoy." I stumbled over his name, and hoped that Hermione didn't put too much thought into it. "The next time I see him, I'll tell him that I won't be up for tutoring." My stomach rumbled. Maybe I should have taken the trolley witch up on some candy. I gently lifted Harry's head off my lap. He rolled to his side, still asleep. "I'm going to get a snack," I told Hermione, standing up. "If Harry wakes up, will you let him know where I went?"

"Well, I don't believe he's going to think you ran off. We are on a train you know." She replied. I laughed as I exited the compartment. I hadn't so much as slid the door shut when a blinding flash hit me in the face.

"Dammit Colin!" I said, trying to blink the spots away from my eyes. "You could have at least warned me!"

"Sorry Adrian!" squeaked the voice behind the camera. "I'm getting candid shots for the common room. I thought it would be neat to put up a bulletin of all the Gryffindors."

"Sure, whatever Colin," I wasn't really paying attention. I needed something to eat, and at that moment I thought it better to listen to my stomach than the ramblings of a crazed shutterbug. I continued down the aisle, looking for the trolley witch. About half way up the train, I heard my name being called.

"Hey Michaels, get back here!"

I made a u-turn in the hallway, and entered the compartment where the voice came from. Inside were a handful of Gryffindor boys, including Ron, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, and Dean Thomas . With them was a girl, already decked out in her full uniform. Our eyes met, and something in the back of my mind clicked. The girl also had a look of surprise and recognition… "No, it couldn't be," I thought to myself.

"Adrian?" The girl asked, her sparkling brown eyes growing wide behind her narrow glasses.

"Abigail?" I echoed. "Is that really you?" The girl gave her response by leaping up from her seat and flinging her arms around my neck. The other boys were taken aback by this sudden show of affection. Seamus snickered in the corner, but was quickly silenced when Neville elbowed him in the side.

"Oh my GOD!" Abigail cried, still strangling me in her death grip. "It's been YEARS! So THIS is where you've been all this time!"

"Yeah, I, ah, um" I choked out, not having the air to vocalize a full sentence. Abigail realized this, and quickly let go. I cleared my throat, and tried again, "Yeah, I go to school here with my cousin Hermione. You're a witch too?" I still couldn't believe she was here.

"Yes. I attended Eaglethorne Academy for four years, but my father got moved to England for a promotion. So now I'm going to school at Hogwarts, so I can be close to them."

"Wait, so you actually know each other?" Dean asked. "Two Americans go to this school… what are the odds they would have already met?"

"Oh yes, we know each other," Abigail replied, "We've known each other since we were very little, but one day, Adrian just disappeared, and I was told that he was at a special boarding school in London. Right after that I got my letter to attend Eaglethorne. OH! I'm just so happy to see you!" She hugged me again, but this time with less force.

"It's just my luck," Neville sighed, "A new girl comes to school, and she's all over a boy who's not only not interested in woman, but already attached to begin with… So typical." Neville suddenly blushed as he realized that he said his feelings out loud. The other boys laughed, but Abigail suddenly let go of me, and put her hands to her hips.

"Adrian Alexander Michaels." She said with a very stern look on her face. The other boys immediately stopped laughing to listen. "Do you mean to tell me that you have been traipsing around with a boy, and you failed to tell me? How long has this been going on?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, _Abigail Elizabeth Marie Williams,_" I replied, eyebrows raised in mock challenge, "We'll be celebrating two years this November. Now, I'd really love to tell the details, but I'm hungry and I need to find the-,"

Abigail whipped out her wand with dizzying speed, pointed it at her book bag on the seat, and then directed it back at me. A blueberry muffin hit me square in the chest. The boys let out a whoop.

"There, you have your snack," she said, putting her wand back inside her robes. "I want details, Michaels, so spill!" She put her hand on my shoulder, and pushed me down onto the bench next to Neville. He never took his eyes off of Abigail.

"Well, Harry and I have been good friends ever since we came to Hogwarts, and then our third year-,"

"Harry?" Abigail interrupted, "Harry Potter? You're dating Harry Potter?"

"Yeah, I get that a lot," I replied, "You didn't read about this in the papers? It was all over the _Daily Prophet_."

"Well, I had read snippets about Harry dating SOMEONE, but the American newspapers don't cover him as often as the European ones do." She shook her head, "I can't believe I'm seeing you again after all these years."

"You'll be seeing a lot more of me, I'm in Gryffindor too. Oh, speaking of that, I should head back to my compartment and change. We're bound to be arriving any minute. Would you like to come back and meet Hermione and Harry?"

"No, that can wait," Abigail said waving her hand, "I think I'm gonna stay here with the boys for a bit." She turned back to Dean, Seamus and Neville, "Longbottom, did I mention that I was President of the Herbology Club at Eaglethorne?" Neville shook his head, but had a look of pure adoration on his face. Abigail sat next to him, and began to recount her experiences.

Ron got up and followed me out of the compartment. We started to make our way back to our seats when he put a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to face him, surprised by his sullen demeanor. "What's up, Ron?" I asked, truly in bewilderment of why he would be so down.

"It's just…" he started, unable to find the right words, "I'm worried about Harry. There's something really bothering him, but he tries not to let on about it. I've tried asking about it, but he's just been shutting me out. He's probably been trying to work things out on his own, but I'm afraid it's something really big. Something Hermione and I won't be able to help him with. I just wanted to let you know, because I have a feeling that you're the only one who's going to be able to help him."

I didn't know what to say. Ron had been thinking the same thing I did. "I agree. There's something on his mind, but we can't try to pry right now. Once we get settled back into school, things will have calmed down and then I'll talk to him." I trailed off, unable to say any more. What could I say? It dawned on my just how helpless I really was, and suddenly I was scared. Would I have what I took to pick Harry back up? Before I could say anything else, Ron swept me up into a hug. I was a bit taken aback at first, but slowly put my guard down and hugged him back.

"I'm glad he's got you," Ron said when he finally let go. "I know you're going to take care of him."

"We're all going to take care of him, Ron. That's what friends are for. The four of us are going to have to stand together if we hope to make it through this. Especially with the world being how it is now. Things are only going to get more twisted." Ron nodded, and a saw a grim determination in his eyes. "But we need to cheer up!" I said, trying to lighten the mood, "The feast is tonight, and I don't know about you, but I'm going to eat so much they'll have to roll me to the dorms."

Ron laughed, and I knew things were going to be better. We continued our way down the aisle, when he spoke up again. "Hey Adrian?"

"Yes Ronald?"

"Has Hermione said anything about me lately?"

I smiled, and turned to face him again, "Why yes, I believe I recall her mentioning you several times… but you didn't hear that from me." We both laughed and made it back to the compartment just as the train pulled into the Hogwarts station. Harry was just starting to wake up, and he smiled when he saw me. I grabbed my things, took Harry by the hand and lead him out of the compartment. As we walked away, I caught a glimpse of Ron helping Hermione take her suitcase down from the luggage rack. Still holding Harry's hand, I quickened my pace.

"But aren't we going to wait for them?" Harry asked.

"Trust me, love," I replied, "They'll be thanking us later."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

The start of term feast was just as amazing as it had always been the years before. Glittering gold platters lined the long wooden tables, and the brightly colored House banners hung high above our heads, waving gently. The bewitched ceiling showed only the finest traces of clouds. Everything should have been wonderful.

However, the mood in the Great Hall was very strained. Friends were greeting each other after the long summer apart, but everyone seemed to be preoccupied about more pressing matters. No one had quite gotten over the shock of Cedric Diggory's death the year before. The Hufflepuff table was particularly somber. All of the students knew that Dumbledore was going to mention Cedric's death, as well as say something about the return of Lord Voldemort. I knew that particular bit of news wasn't going to be received very well, as some in the magical community had already labeled the headmaster a loony for believing such things. Harry was also being ridiculed for standing by Dumbledore in his claims.

I looked over at Harry, who was sitting next to me. He was staring down at his plate, and my attempts to catch his eye failed. My heart broke when I thought about how he must be feeling. So many people had turned on him, no longer thankful for all the things he had done in years before.

I hadn't told Harry yet, but some people had been trying to get to me as well. I had returned home for the summer via the Floo network, and had arrived to a gaggle of Daily Prophet reporters, all wanting to get my side of the story. 'Was I still standing by Harry, even though he claimed such preposterous things?' 'Did I plan on leaving him if he didn't change his tone?' 'Was the whole thing a hoax thought up between the two of us?'

Needless to say, I declined an interview, which only seemed to fan the flames. Soon, there were front page articles titled, "Harry Potter's Main Squeeze Remains Silent," and "Michaels' devotion to Potter Clouds Judgment." I had become extremely upset over the stories, and my parents forbade any reporters from coming near me for the rest of the summer.

Part of me was hoping that all the skepticism would have died down by the time school started again, but it seemed like I was wrong. I looked again at Harry, but he was still trying to shut everything out. I slid my hand under the table and found his, squeezing it tight. He scooted down the bench closer to me and when he stopped out shoulders were touching. Harry turned to me, and was smiling weakly. He began to say something, but was interrupted when Dumbledore began his pre-feast speech.

"Welcome students," the headmaster began, "To another year at Hogwarts. To our First Years, I hope that the days you spend within these walls are ones that you remember all your lives, and I am confidant that you will grow to be just as fine of students as the other young people you see seated around you."

Dumbledore paused to take a look around the room. I could have sworn I saw the faintest of smiles as his eyes swept over Harry and me. He continued, "… In light of recent events, including those that took the life of one of our own, the Ministry of Magic has felt that it was time to monitor the school. I would like to take the time to introduce Delores Umbridge, who will be serving as Liaison to the Ministry, as well as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The headmaster motioned to his left to a short, curly haired woman dressed in a ridiculous pink suit. She had a very squashy face, and I thought she reminded me of some sort of a toad.

I heard Abigail, who was seated across the table from me mutter, "Who dressed up the bullfrog in that getup? Neville, you better keep an eye on Trevor. He might think that's a girl up there for him." The remark made me snort, and Harry squeezed my hand to try and quiet me. I met eyes with Abigail, who flashed me a smile, and then turned away to whisper something in Neville's ear. His eyes got big, and blood rushed to his ears, turning them bright red. He smiled meekly back at Abigail. The two looked like they were really hitting it off.

The rest of the speech went by, and honestly, I wasn't paying all that much attention. It was finally finished, and as Dumbledore took his seat, the golden plates on the table were suddenly filled with food. Everyone around me began reaching for food. I turned to Harry, who was taking a drink of pumpkin juice.

"You were going to say something before the speech," I said so only he could hear. "What was it?"

"What I meant to say," Harry replied in a muted voice, "Was that even though it's sad that so many people don't believe me about Voldemort returning, I don't care about them because I've got you."

I looked at Harry. What could I say to that? I reached out and hugged him tight. "You Harry Potter," I said, looking directly into his eyes, "Are the most wonderful boy in the entire world. I love you."

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you, but you've got it all wrong," Harry replied, a mock look of seriousness on his face, "You've made a mistake, because YOU are the most wonderful boy in the world. I love you Adrian Michaels."

We must have been talking loud enough for others to hear, because I was suddenly aware of silence around us. Everyone on our part of the Gryffindor table had stopped eating to stare. Seamus and Dean looked a little flustered, while Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Parvati Patil appeared to be all misty-eyed and wistful. Oddly, Ron and Hermione were paying no attention at all, though this was probably because they seemed to have eyes only for each other. Harry and I blushed, and looked down at our plates. We couldn't help but smile though. Finally, Abigail broke up the silence.

"Argh, this moment brought to you by Velveeta." She cried, pretending to be sick, "Enough with the cheesiness boys, I'm trying to eat here! That goes for you too, Granger." Hermione snapped her head towards Abigail, whipping her hair across Ron's face. She was bright red and muttered something as everyone laughed. With the mood of the table at a new high, we all continued with our meal.

The feast wound down to a close, and all the students headed to their respective dormitories. As my friends and I climbed the stairs to Gryffindor tower, we waved to familiar faces in the paintings that hung on the walls. Finally, we reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, which swung open to reveal the extravagant Gryffindor common room. A bunch of us gathered on the couches that surrounded the fireplace. As the night wore on, more and more people filtered up to the dorms. Abigail and Neville left together, and after a long hug, ascended their respective staircases. Ron, Hermione, Harry and I were the last ones to make our way upstairs.

Hermione stopped at the base of the girl's stairs. "Well, my boys, I wish you all goodnight." She kissed all of us on the cheek, including Ron, who I noticed blushing in the glow of the fire. We told her goodnight, and went up to our room.

The dorm light's were dimmed, and I could see the shadows of the large beds circled around a small fireplace. Someone was snoring softly on the far side of the room. Harry, Ron and I quietly made our way to our beds. After getting into pajamas, I pointed my wand at the lamp on the wall. The flame instantly shrunk until it was nothing but the faintest pinpoint of light. I crawled into bed and pulled the curtains closed. Sounds on both sides of me indicated that Harry and Ron had done the same.

I stared up at the ceiling of my canopy as I tried to fall asleep. For some reason I was suddenly wide awake, and there seemed to be no way I was going to be able to drift off now. I listened intently for any sounds that would indicate that someone else was up, but there were none. I continued to gaze upwards into the darkness. My mind wandered to Harry (as it usually did when I was daydreaming) and I thought back on the day it all happened…

It was a chilly day in November, and I was a third year. I walked the path that led to the Quidditch pitch with a broom over my shoulder. What a perfect day to just fly around and enjoy the fall. The sun shone brightly in a cloudless sky, illuminating the colored trees. Red, yellow and orange leaves rustled gently as a breeze passed through the castle grounds. I adjusted my sweater to help combat the wind as it blew against my neck. Finally, I reached the pitch and entered through a small side door.

The perfectly manicured grass was soft beneath my feet as I made my way to the center of the field. I stood inside the white circle that marked the middle, and gazed around the stadium. The stands were empty, but I still felt an overwhelming sense of awe as I looked at them. I could only imagine what it was like to play to a full house. My friend Harry had been the Gryffindor seeker since our first year, and he told me the thrill never got old. I loved watching Quidditch, and wasn't too bad at the game. My favorite position was Chaser, but Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, and Alicia Spinnet were excellent, and there wouldn't be a team opening until they left school. In the meantime, however, I was content to watch from the stands with Ron and Hermione. The three of us always cheered the loudest for Harry.

It seemed like my mind was always on Harry. I'd had a crush on him since our first year, but I was too afraid to say anything to him. Not that it would do any good if I did. Harry was the most popular guy at school, and the girls loved him. He seemed to like them as well, though he never really was attracted to anyone in particular. It was obvious that I had no chance with him, so what was the point of freaking him out? I mean, its one thing to know a friend is gay, but to find out that friend had a crush on you? I didn't want to ruin our friendship so I stayed quiet.

I did tell Hermione, however, partially because she wouldn't stop nagging until she found out what was bothering me. She thought the whole thing was adorable. Sworn to secrecy, she was the sole outlet I had to express my feelings about Harry, which I did quite often. In exchange, I listened to her as she went on and on about her attraction to Ron. We had a very twisted social web…

All thoughts of Harry were thrust from my mind as I mounted my broom. I took a deep breath, and kicked off the ground. As I sailed up and up, I watched as the castle grounds became smaller. The sun beat against my neck, and its warmth contrasted nicely with the wind that blew through my hair. I was high in the air, far above the quidditch pitch. Gazing across the land, I noticed dark storm clouds across the lake. It looked like rain was coming, but wouldn't reach the castle until later. After descending back into the stadium, I made a few fast laps around the pitch, weaving in between the golden hoops as fast as I could. I handled a broom pretty well for a muggleborn, and was sometimes better than kids who had been riding their whole lives. Of course, I was still no Harry Potter.

I mentally smacked myself. There I was thinking about him again. It happened all the time. Whenever my I wasn't directly concentrating on something, he somehow popped into my head. His bright green eyes, partially hidden by his unruly black hair, were always sparkling. It was enough to drive a boy crazy. I halted my broom in the middle of the field, shaking my head in frustration. Nothing was EVER going to come from this! I needed to get over Harry, and stop being so glum. 'Just move on, Adrian,' I thought to myself, wheeling around to make another lap around the pitch.

I stopped short, and yelped in surprise. He was HERE! Walking onto the field, broom slung over his arm, was Harry Potter, one of my best friends, and the person I've practically been in love with for three years. "Oh lovely, this is EXACTLY what I need." I whispered. Maybe he didn't notice me. I'm way up in the air, just another student enjoying the nice weather—

"Hey Adrian!" Harry called, "Mind if I join you?" Oh great. He did see me. And now he's coming up here. This is just wonderful. I just know I'm gonna do something stupid like fall off my broom. And then he'll laugh, and never want to talk to me ever again!

There was a blur of movement, and then he was right beside me. 'Well, I guess I can't run away now,' I thought, 'Time to put on my happy face.'

"Oh hey, Harry," I said, hoping that any uneasiness was masked, "What brings you out here?"

"Well, it's a beautiful day, and Hermione said you were out by yourself, so I thought I'd offer some company."

"Oh she said that, did she?" I asked, when on the inside I was screaming, 'TRAITOR!' "Well she was right, here I am. I just needed to get outside and think."

"You seem to be doing a lot of that lately," Harry replied with a look of concern. "Is everything all right?"

"I, um, Yeah! Everything's fine!" I stuttered, completely surprised by the look of worry. Had I really been that transparent? Harry knows something is up, and he wants me to tell him. In any other situation, he would know what was bothering me. He's a close friend, and I tell him everything. The fact that I haven't divulged any information led him to the only conclusion: It was about him. I panicked, trying to find a way to change the subject. "Race you!" I shouted, and flew quickly away.

I could hear Harry laugh, and then start following me. I had to get away from him, but how? He had a Firebolt, which was a better broom than my Nimbus 2001. In an all out race, he would beat me no matter what. That meant I had to try to outmaneuver him. Leaning to the left, I pulled a sharp turn towards the golden hoops at the end of the pitch. I leaned forward, willing my broom to go faster. The goalposts were right ahead, and just before I would have slammed right into one, I pulled my broom up. As I shot up the post, I heard Harry swear. Looking down, I noticed that he narrowly missed a collision, and was now coming after me again.

I had a bigger lead on him, and relaxed for a moment. I noticed that the storm clouds had moved closer to the castle grounds. It wouldn't be too long before it started to rain. Looking behind again, I saw that Harry wasn't behind me. That was very odd. 'Maybe he gave up already,' I thought, turning forward again.

Harry had somehow gotten right in front of me, and I screamed in surprise. I was still flying pretty fast, and there wasn't time to get out of the way! I turned to the right, and was mortified when Harry turned the same way. His shoulder slammed into mine, and I sailed into the air. Before I could react, I was hurtling face-first towards the ground. Harry shouted something, and I braced myself for impact… but it never came. I opened my eyes, and saw that I was floating in the air about two feet from the ground. Looking to my left, I saw Harry land, his wand still pointed towards me. He looked really worried. Carefully, he lowered me to the ground. I sighed, happy that I didn't smash my face into the dirt and picked myself up.

"Oh my God are you ok? I didn't mean to make you fall, I just wanted to surprise…" Harry rambled, looking shaken.

"It's alright, I didn't get hurt." I said, picking the grass off my sweater. "I'm just glad you saved me!"

Harry ran forward and swept me into an enormous hug. I was a little shocked, but quickly returned the gesture. I felt him shudder, and realized that he was crying. I held him until he calmed down. "I'm sorry," he sniffed, "I just thought I hurt you…"

"Well, I'm fine," I replied, "Besides, it's my fault. I shouldn't have been flying like that. You could have gotten hurt if you ran into that goal post." Harry wiped his eyes, and looked at me.

"There's still something bothering you…" he said slowly. "I can see it. Why can't you tell me what it is?" He looked like he was going to cry again.

"Alright, I'll try to explain this." I was shaking. Was I really going to tell him my biggest secret? Harry deserved to know. No matter what the outcome would be. "Well… I like someone." I started, "I've liked this person for a very long time, and it seems like there's no getting over them."

"Oh, it's something like that?" Harry asked. "Well you can't keep carrying on like this; you have to let them know! Keeping all of those emotions in can't be healthy."

"It's not the simple Harry. I'm afraid that if I tell this person, they're going to freak out, and I don't want them to hate me. You see, this person is a really close friend, and if I lost them, I don't know what I would do. I've been through so much with him, and,"

"Him?" Harry asked. Oh shit. "You mean this person is a boy?" I turned away. Here it was, the moment I had been avoiding for so long. Harry knew I was gay, and he wouldn't want anything to do with me ever again.

I felt a hand on my arm. "Well, go on." Harry said. I saw that he was smiling. "I want to hear more about him."

"Well, he's really smart, and funny and good looking. He's loyal to all his friends… and, um. About three minutes ago, he saved my life." Oh boy. There is was. I told him. What was going to happen next?

Harry looked up with a look of questioning in his eyes. Suddenly, his face lit up, and he leaned over and kissed me full on the lips. I was utterly shocked. He broke away, and it took me a moment to realize what had just happened.

"You, you just, what?" I stammered, unable to string any coherent thought together.

"You're not the only one who likes someone. I've been talking about this with Ron for almost two years, and he said that I had to tell you. He asked Hermione where I could find you, and here we are!"

"But, you, you never let on!" I cried.

"Neither did you! I was afraid that you would hate me!"

"I could never hate you!" I began to smile. "I don't know what to say…"

"Say yes. I'm going to ask you to go out with me, and you just say yes."

"YES!" I laughed, and hugged Harry tight. We broke apart, and I gazed into his green eyes. I saw myself smiling in them. Overhead, there was a clap of thunder, and rain began to fall.

"Oh! We better get back to the castle!" Harry yelled, "But before I forget, your broom is over there!" He pointed a little ways away from us. I saw my broom lying on the ground. Luckily, it didn't look like it suffered any damage in the fall. I picked it up, and ran back to Harry. He grabbed my hand.

"Hurry!" he said, "Before the storm gets worse!" We both began to run back to the castle, and made it into the entrance hall just as it began to pour. With the exception of two people, the hall was empty. Ron and Hermione were both sitting on the stone steps leading up to the Gryffindor common room. Both were reading, and pretending not to notice us.

"Mission accomplished, Mr. Weasley?" Hermione asked Ron, in a tone of amusement.

"It appears so, Miss Granger." He replied.

"Well good. Maybe now they'll leave us alone." Hermione looked up from her book, and saw Harry and I still holding hands. "Oh, I'm only joking! I think it's wonderful!" She ran over to both of us with the intention of giving a hug, when she saw we were both soaked. "Oh just a moment," Hermione pulled out her wand, and muttered something. Our clothes were dry, and then we got our hug. Ron came up after her, and shook my hand. He was much less outwardly excited, but I could tell he was pleased.

The four of us made our way up the stairs to the common room. Harry and I hung back a little, and every so often, Hermione would look back and squeal. She also kept saying things like, "Oh it's about time" and "I told you, Adrian!" It appeared she was going to be smug about this for some time.

I was still staring up at my bed canopy when I closed my eyes to sleep. I could hear the wind outside the tower, and pulled the covers over my shoulders to stay warm. A few moments later, I heard the canopy rustle beside me, and felt someone crawl under the blankets.

"I wasn't able to sleep over there." Harry whispered, "Too many bad dreams. I don't want to talk about it right now, but I promise I will, and soon. Can I stay with you tonight?"

I rolled over to face him. Even in the dark, I could see his green eyes. He looked so scared. He needed me more than anything else in that moment. "Yes, you can stay," I said. "Tonight, and every single night of the school year if you need to. We're going to get through this Harry. I know you're seen some horrible things, but I'm not running away. I'm never going to leave, and I promise that nothing is ever going to come between us." I pulled him in, and he snuggled close to me as I wrapped my arms around him. "Now try to get some sleep, I'll keep all the bad dreams away."

Harry lightly kissed my arm, and I heard him sigh. I was suddenly tired, and decided to fight sleep no longer. I closed my eyes, and quickly drifted off, more content than I had been in a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

_Authors's Note: Thanks to those who've been reading, and I hope you enjoy Chapter 4!_

**DISCLAIMER**: All normal Harry Potter stuff belongs to JK Rowling. The new stuff you see belongs to me. I'd offer to trade with her, but somehow, I don't think she'd go for that.

Chapter 4

The next morning came all too soon. A narrow strip of sunlight peeked through the crack of the bed canopy, falling directly on my face. I groaned and tried to roll over, but Harry was lying on my arm, and I couldn't really move without waking him up. Slowly, I tried to pull my arm from underneath him, when he stirred.

"No, don't go…" Harry mumbled with his eyes still closed. "It's still early…" He rolled over and tried to grab for me but smacked me in the head instead.

"Ow! That hurt!" I cried, rubbing my nose. "So that's the way you want to play, is it?" I rolled on top of Harry and began to tickle his ribs. It's one of his weaknesses, and incredibly funny to think that a guy who's faced danger so many times would squeal like a little girl when tickled.

"Ah S,S,STOP! AHHHHH!" Harry wailed. He tried to get away, but it was no use. I decided to give him a break and let up. Harry smacked me playfully as he tried to catch his breath. I smiled at him, about to say something, when we heard a snicker from outside the bed curtains.

"You boys all right in there?" An Irish accent called out. "We can leave the room if you want some privacy…"

"Shut it, Finnegan!" Harry and I both shouted at the same time, which only made us laugh more.

"Aw how cute," Seamus replied, "They're officially sharing a brain!" The other boys in the room laughed. I smiled at Harry, who was blushing.

"Alright Finnigan," I called, "You better watch it when we come out…"

"You're way past coming out, mate," another voice said. Again, the boys laughed.

"Ronald Weasley!" Harry cried with mock pain. "Whose side are you on?"

"Aw come on guys, let's get downstairs" Neville's voice broke through the noise outside. He seemed really eager to get going. I had a feeling it had something to do with Abigail, but I kept my opinions to myself.

"Eh, Longbottom's right," Ron agreed. "First day of classes, and we need to be prepared for the torture to come. That and I'm starving!" There was a cheer from the boys, and a loud shuffle of movement as they made their way out the door and down the dormitory steps.

"Well, I suppose we should get going. Can't lie about all day, can we?"

"I suppose not," Harry replied, "But especially not you, because I can't breathe!" I gasped, realizing that I was still sprawled across him. I quickly rolled away and threw back the bed curtains. Harry did the same thing on his side of the bed. He moaned as he stood up. "Ade, I think you broke something." He said in a mock whiny voice.

"Oh my poor delicate flower," I drawled, acting all sad, "We better be careful so you don't get all bruised…"

"Adrian, I'm not a fruit!"

I stifled a laugh. Harry walked right into that one. "Well then what, daresay, have we been dong for almost two years?

"You KNOW what I meant, you smart ass Yank!"

"Aw, but you love me!"

Harry sighed, "I suppose I do,"

"And I suppose I love you too!" I laughed, humming a song while I pulled out some clothes from a small dresser next to my bed. Harry made me so happy. I knew that other people probably thought we were incredibly sappy, but life was just so wonderful when I was with him.

I gathered up a fresh uniform, and headed to the lavatory that was connected to the dorm room. To the right was a room with sinks and mirrors and toilet stalls. On the left were the shower stalls. I got cleaned up quick, and then headed over to a mirror to make sure I looked all nice for my first day of classes. I straightened my tie and checked to see that my uniform was properly pressed and tucked. Then I pulled out my wand, and pointed it at my head. Muttering a few words, I waved my wand and was delighted to find that my hair had done exactly what I wanted it to. I studied my reflection, not entirely satisfied with how I looked. "Oh!" I cried out, and waved my wand one more time. My normally dark brown hair instantly lightened in spots, giving me awesome highlights.

"It must have killed you not being able to use magic all summer." Harry said, coming up behind me. His hair was all wet from the shower. "How on earth were you able to survive?"

"You're just upset, because no amount of magic will ever tame your hair!" I grumbled. It was true. I tried to do something about it once, but no matter what spell I tried, Harry's hair always went back to being unruly. Though honestly, it was part of his charm.

"Well, do you suppose we can go down to breakfast?" Harry asked, fighting with his tie.

"Here let me," I said, moving over to fix his tie. Harry was definitely one of those 'Leave the knot tied up' people when it came to his neckties. Lucky for him, I was always there to make the initial loop. "There!" I said with a smile, "You're perfect, let's get going!"

Harry chased me down the dormitory stairs into the common room. I was surprised to find someone sitting all alone on the couch, "Neville, didn't you go down to breakfast with the other guys?" I asked.

"No, I decided to, um, stay behind and wait…" he coughed, looking a little timid.

"Who are you waiting for?" Harry asked, but before he could get an answer, there was a loud burst of giggles from the girl's staircase.

"So THEN, I dared him to lick the pole, and when his tongue stuck, he cried like a baby!" Abigail said to Hermione. "I've never seen a boy scream like that my entire- OH! Good morning Adrian, Harry! Hi there Neville!" She waved excitably to him.

"Just what were you telling Hermione?" I wondered.

"Oh nothing Adrian, just a silly moment from your past."

"We've been compiling!" Hermione said. "Between sharing your childhood with Abigail, and spending your holidays with me, we've racked up quite a list!" I groaned. Girls were so impossible sometimes.

"Well now we can all go down to eat together!" Neville said brightly. He practically skipped over to the portrait and opened it for us, allowing the group to exit before him.

"My my," Abigail remarked with a grin and fake Southern accent, "Chivalry may be dead in the States, but across the pond it is very much alive!" Neville responded with a meek smile and a bow, and fell into step right beside her.

"I see someone is back to spelling their hair…" Hermione noticed.

"Oh, what do you think?" I asked, "I was thinking of going red today, seeing as I know you like it so much…" I had to look away as the color drained from my cousin's face.

"ADRIAN MICHAELS!" Hermione squealed as she punched me in the arm. "You keep your mouth shut, or so help me I will hex you into next Tuesday!"

The entire group roared with laughter as we entered the Great Hall. There were quite a few students eating breakfast, which I found surprising considering that it was still a bit early. 'Everyone wants to make a good impression on the first day of class.' I thought to myself.

Ron waved from the Gryffindor table. He had left some room by him for all of us to sit. Breakfast was enjoyable as usual. While we where eating, Professor MaGonagall came around to hand out class schedules. We compared classes at the table, and it looked like I'd have a pretty good year. I was taking basics: Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures and Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors, but would probably team up with Harry. This was always nice because I was really good at Potions while he was able to help me out with some of the more advanced dark arts spells. Together, we learned a lot, and excelled in both classes. We also had Divination with Ron. My friends hated the art, but I always thought when used properly, it could become a valuable skill. I was taking Ancient Runes by myself, as no one but Hermione would have even considered taking the class. She, however, was in Arithmancy, a class I despised for its dull lectures and complicated use of numbers.

"Well, I've got to be off to a quick Quidditch meeting," Harry said, putting a hand on my arm. "Looks like I'll see you in potions!" he gathered his things and took off to another part of the Great Hall. I was watching him go when I felt something fall into my lap. It was a dark green paper airplane with my name written on it. I unfolded the paper to find a note:

_Michaels,_

_I just wanted to know if you got permission from Potter study Ancient Runes with me. Of course, you could always just meet with me anyway. What Potty doesn't know won't hurt him. _

_Malfoy_

I stared at the shiny silver handwriting. 'Draco was serious about all this' I thought. I quickly looked around to see if any of my friends noticed what happened. Luckily, they were all too preoccupied with their breakfast and classes to pay any attention. I quickly searched through my book bag and found a quill to write a reply.

_It's too early in the morning for your tongue, Draco. I'll see you in class; we can talk there if this is so important. I haven't asked Harry yet, but I promise I'll get to it. _

_A. _

I carefully folded the paper back into an airplane, and looked to make sure no one at the table was paying attention. Pointing my wand at the paper, I whispered, "Wingardium Leviosa" causing the airplane to hover in the air. With a flick of my wand, the note went zooming across the Great Hall and landed on Draco's plate. I watched him open the note. He smirked as he read one part, and then met my gaze to show he understood. Stuffing the note in his bag, Draco left the hall followed by his lumbering henchmen.

"Hey Adrian!" Neville yelled. My attention snapped back to the group. "Are you ready to head to class? We don't want to give Snape any reasons to take house points away." I nodded, still in a daze. "And guess what? Abigail said she'd be my partner. I think she's awfully brave, considering how bad I am at Potions."

"That's right!" Abigail said, putting an arm around Neville's shoulder. He looked like he was about to melt. "I'm gonna turn Nevvie here into a cauldron god!" Neville looked completely smitten. He suddenly came back to reality, whirled Abigail around and planted a kiss right on her lips. It lasted for a few seconds, before both broke apart short of breath.

"All right Neville!" Seamus roared. The others clapped enthusiastically. Abigail was speechless for probably the first time in her life. I noticed she was wearing an expression on her face that almost matched the one Neville had.

"Oh! How romantic is that?" Hermione whispered to me, "They're such a good pair."

"They are pretty cute," I admitted, "Though, I'm just glad Neville didn't kiss me every time I offered to help with homework."

"Oh you!" Hermione smacked me with a book she was carrying. Then she burst into laughter.

"Speaking of good pairs, are you and Ron official yet?" I asked.

"Well…" Hermione started to blush, "I don't think I've got a name for that yet. I think we both know we like each other, but"

"But you're both to afraid to make the first move" I interrupted. Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Oh Hermione, you may be the smartest person I know, yet sometimes you're completely daft… but don't worry, we'll get that boy to say he likes you even if it kills him!" I put my arm around her shoulder as we made our way to the dungeons.

"I will have silence," Professor Snape announced as he entered the classrooms. I quickly scrambled to an empty chair. Other students did the same, and the room hushed almost instantly. Snape looked somewhat disappointed, as if our immediate obedience prevented him from taking away house points. "Now" he began, pacing the front of the room. "I trust that no one forgot over the summer the things I have taught you. I've wasted too much time trying to fill your feeble brains with knowledge for you to go and let it fall out of your heads. If you don't already have a partner, I suggest you find one immediately, as we will begin NOW."

Snape surveyed the room, daring anyone who didn't have a partner to make a movement. He reminded me of a cobra threatening to strike. No one moved. "Turn to page 475, and start brewing a Befuddlement Draught. The ingredients and theories were in your summer reading, and any half-wit should be able to accomplish this task." I heard Hermione squeak. Clearly, she knew exactly what she needed to do. I thought back to my summer reading…Potions was my favorite class, so I made sure to pay attention.

'Befudlement Draught' I thought, 'Is designed to cause confusion and disorientation in the drinker. The materials used are known for their ability to enflame the brain…' It was almost like the textbook page was inside my head.

"Harry, we're going to need sneezewort, scurvy-grass, and lovage." I said, handing him a slip of parchment listing the amounts we would need for each ingredient. "I'll start warming the cauldron and making the base.

"Oh I'm glad you remembered," Harry replied. "I didn't have a clue what to do…"

Making his way around the room, Snape commented on each group. He stopped at the table Harry and I were sharing. "Make sure you pay attention, Potter" the professor said with a sneer. "If you don't spend all your time staring at Michaels with stars in your eyes, there's a small possibility he just might be able to teach you something." And with a snap of his robes, Snape was off to harass another pair.

"Oi!" Ron whispered harshly to me. He and Hermione were at the table nearest us. "I may be wrong, but I think somewhere in that remark was a compliment." I laughed and glanced at Snape, who was doing all he could to make Neville uncomfortable.

"How very brave you are Miss Williams," he said, "Taking Longbottom on as a partner is not only a potential academic pitfall, but will most likely be a hazard to your health. Though don't worry, I've got the antidotes on hand, for it is almost certain a catastrophe will occur." Snape left them, leaving poor Neville red in the face. Abigail put her hand on his arm, and whispered something to him. I turned back to my table, and Harry and I got to work on our potion.

"Harry, there's something I need to talk to you about," I said, cutting the sneezewort into thin slices.

"What's that?" he asked, looking up from the cauldron. There was a hint of worry in his eyes. I lost myself his stare for a moment, and then steadied myself.

"Well" I began. My hands started to shake a little, so I put down the knife. I didn't need to cut myself on top of it all. "Harry…I've been approached to tutor a student in Ancient Runes, and I was wondering what you thought about it."

"Oh? Is that all?" Harry sprinkled some scurvy-grass into the cauldron. Pink steam rose from the liquid.

"Yes. That's all. I just wanted to let you know, because it could take up some of my free time." My heart was racing. I couldn't believe I was doing this!

"Well, I think it's great. You're really good in that class, it's really kind of you to help someone else."

"Alright. I just wanted to run it by you to see what you thought. I'll let them know I can tutor."

"So who's the person, by the way?"

"Oh," I swallowed. "A Hufflepuff fourth year. You wouldn't know him." Harry smiled, but I had to look away. It was the first time I had ever lied to him.


	5. Chapter 5

There was a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach for the remainder of the Potions class. Harry and I finished our Befuddlement Draught and I carefully poured the dull blue liquid into a small crystal bottle. I put the stopper in, and brought the bottle to a table at the front of the room. It was the first potion to be completed. Professor Snape gave me a blank stare.

"Ten points to Gryffindor," he muttered, barely above a whisper, "For completing the assignment in record time." I raised my eyes from the bottle. Snape had a pained expression on his face, and I knew it was from awarding his least favorite house. "Now get back to your seat, before I change my mind." I nodded to him, and turned around, trying to hide a smile. I faltered a bit when I looked at Harry.

He looked up from the cauldron he was cleaning and gave me a wink. I couldn't help but laugh. He was just so perfect, and the only person who understood me completely.

'Then why are you running off with Draco behind his back?' A voice in my head wondered.

I shook my head to clear the thought. 'I'm not running off with anyone.' I snapped back to my conscience. 'I'm simply helping out a friend. Harry doesn't need to know right now because he has enough to worry about, and it will only upset him.' I felt a little better after reassuring myself that there was no reason I couldn't study with whomever I wanted. 'Harry will be busy with Quidditch anyway,' I reasoned.

Harry finished cleaning up our area, and then pulled out a quill and paper. He began scribbling little symbols in various formations. He suddenly stopped and held the parchment out in front of him. I examined his puzzled expression.

"What are you doing?" I finally asked, after watching several minutes of this ritual.

"Quidditch plays," He replied, looking up his work. "I want to try out some new ones at practice tonight."

"Oh let me see." He slid the paper towards me. There was a jumble of circles that represented players, buried under a flurry of arrows. The whole thing was kind of a mess, and impossible to understand. I plucked Harry's quill from his hand, and dipped it in the inkwell. I scratched a line of symbols at the top of the page, and tapped them with my wand. They glowed bright red for a moment, then seemed to sink into the paper.

The arrows and lines that Harry had scribbled faded from the paper until they were barely noticeable. Instead, the symbols representing Quidditch players zoomed around the page, performing the play over and over. I handed the paper and quill back to Harry, who was impressed.

"This is amazing!" he cried, watching the play repeat itself once more. "How on earth did you do it?"

"It's just simple rune work." I replied, "And you said that class wasn't worthwhile," Harry laughed, and put the paper back in his book bag just as Snape announced the end of class.

"Time is up. Everyone should be completing their potions now." He called out from the front of the room. "Well, well Longbottom, what is this?"

Neville had made his way to the front, clutching a crystal bottle filled with Befuddlement Draught. It was almost the same shade of blue that Adrian and Harry's potion had been. Snape snatched the bottle, and examined it carefully.

"Five points to Gryffindor," he said, "For not killing a new student on her first day of class." Neville turned around, embarrassed, and shuffled his way back the table he shared with Abigail, who smiled as she got ready to leave.

Harry and I climbed the stairs that lead out of the dungeon, and were both glad to see the sunshine that poured in through the windows of the Entrance Hall. I checked my watch, realizing that I had ten minutes before Ancient Runes class started.

"Well, looks like I'm headed to the 5th floor." I said, turning to face him.

"Yeah, I've got a free period, and then I'll be off to Quidditch practice. See you at dinner?"

"Sounds like a plan dear," I pulled him close for quick kiss. There was a cough behind us on the stairs, and we broke apart to see Draco with a smirk on his face.

"So I heard that Michaels bailed you out of yet another Potions class, Potter," Draco drawled in his usual way. I could see Harry tense up, like he wanted to say something, and I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Just ignore him," I whispered. "He wants you to get upset."

"You're right," He replied, "I'll see you at dinner." Harry stretched up to kiss my cheek once more before making his way outside. I turned to Draco, who watched Harry leave.

"Malfoy, you just have to cause trouble, don't you?" I asked, mildly irritated. "You certainly aren't going to win any points with Harry if you keep acting like that."

"Oh Michaels, I'm not trying to win points with Potter, just with you." He frowned. "And you called me Malfoy. That doesn't happen often."

"Well, you're acting like a prat. You better behave if you expect me to tutor you."

"Oh! So Potter's given you permission, has he?" Draco's face lit up. I opened my mouth to say something, but couldn't think of a reply. He saw my fumble."Oh no… Don't tell me you haven't asked him!" He looked completely shocked.

"Well, he knows I'm tutoring someone…" I started.

"But he doesn't know it's me."

I shook my head. "He thinks you're a Hufflepuff fourth year."

Draco threw back his head in laughter. "Oh Michaels, I'm beginning to think you should have been in Slytherin." He glanced at his watch, "Damn, we're going to be late for class! Let's move it Michaels!" Draco took the stairs two at a time as he raced his way to the 5th floor classroom. I sighed and followed right behind him.

There were still students filing through the doorway as Draco and I skidded to a stop in from of the Ancient Runes classroom. There were three rows of small tables, with two students at each. We found an empty one at the back of the room and sat down, still panting from our long run. A quick scan of the room showed that the professor was sitting at her desk in the front of the room. She was completely engrossed in a huge leather bound book, seemingly unaware of anything around her.

Professor Denraay was probably my favorite teacher at Hogwarts. Younger than the rest of the staff, she possessed a youthful enthusiasm that made her classes incredibly enjoyable. Ancient Runes was a particularly difficult branch of magic, but she made it all worthwhile.

The class settled down in their seats, and began to talk in a low murmur while Denraay read her book. I coughed quietly and turned to Draco, who met me with raised eyebrows. There was a loud thump from the front of the room as Denraay flipped her book closed. She let out a sigh and gently tapped the cover of the book before addressing the class.

"Good morning everyone!" Denraay said, her gaze sweeping over the room. "Welcome to yet another exciting year of Ancient Runes! Now, you've mastered some of the basic principles of rune work, but this is OWLs year people! You can expect to be working harder than ever before, but you'll be rewarded with some kick-ass magical knowledge."

The class burst into laughter. That was so Denraay's style: Make them work hard, but entertain them. With any other teacher, the work load would have been unbearable. The rest of the class went quickly, and I didn't even really mind that I was assigned a boatload of homework on the first day of class. Draco, on the other hand, did not take it so well.

"I can't believe this! A 10 inch essay on magical translation, and on the first day! Denraay's officially flipped."

"Oh, it's not going to be that bad," I assured him, "Besides, its just review from last year."

"I suppose," Draco sighed, "Well, what do you say we go to the library and try to get this done with?" I was about to glance at my watch when Draco interrupted, "You've got plenty of time. Your lover boy's still got practice for another hour. I'm sure you can survive the wait."

"Fair enough."

"Fantastic, let's go then, shall we?" Draco smiled and put his arm around my shoulder. I froze. What was he doing? "Oh…," he said, pulling away from me, "Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

My face flushed as I frantically looked around. There was no one else in the hallway to witness that little scene. The last thing I needed was for this to get back to Harry. "It's fine. Let's just get going." Draco and I continued our walk. He just stared at the ground, not daring to look up at me. I could still feel his arm on my shoulder all the way to the library.


	6. Chapter 6

The library was practically empty when Draco and I got there

The library was practically empty when Draco and I got there. We walked through long rows of shelves until we found a table to study at. Madam Pince was at her seat, furiously scratching at a parchment roll that spilled over the top of the desk. She then pointed her wand at the parchment, and cut it into small sections. The smaller pieces then magically folded themselves into paper airplanes. Pince flicked her wand again, and the small fleet lifted off from her desk and zoomed out the library door. Draco and I viewed the librarian with confusion.

"New overdue book policy," Madam Pince told us, seeing our questioning faces. "The airplane seeks out whoever has an overdue book. Think of them as mini Howlers. Of course, ALL of this could be avoided if people would just return their books on time." She frowned sternly. "Now, if you'll excuse me," she said, stalking off to some other part of the library.

"Wow," Draco said, turning to me, "She's really lost it, hasn't she?"

"I guess that's a matter of whether or not she actually _had _it to begin with…" I made a face, which made Draco laugh.

"Come on, let's get this done with," I set my book bag on top of the table and pulled out my Ancient runes book. Draco sat down in the chair next to me. "Don't you want to sit on the other side?" I asked him, "There would be more room."

"No, that's fine. Besides, it'll be easier to study this way." The grey orbs that were Draco's eyes met mine. I noticed how they sparkled in the sunlight that poured through the windows. He was smiling, and at that moment looked very un-Malfoy-like. I was caught in his smile for a moment, but quickly composed myself. There was a twinge of emotion at the back of my mind, and I shook my head to focus.

Working on our essays was pretty smooth sailing, if a little cramped. With Draco and I on the same side of the table, it felt like we were always bumping elbows. However, the homework was mostly review, and both of us seemed to have retained a lot of information over the summer. In fact, Draco was able to recall quite a few of the finer details of last year's lessons.

"You told me you needed a tutor!" I laughed softly, as to not attract attention from Madam Pince, "And yet you seem to have remembered more that I did."

"Well, perhaps your positive energy is just conducive to my memory retention," He grinned, and I laughed again. "Ok, I'll come clean," He suddenly whispered, eyes down. "I don't really need help with Ancient Runes, but it was the only excuse I could think of…"

"Only excuse for what?" Draco wasn't making any sense. What was he trying to say?

"To get you away from Potty and your other little friends," The Slytherin's words were very matter-of-fact, as if I was completely stupid for not picking up on that. "You're a typical Gryffindor, Adrian, and I knew you couldn't resist helping out a person in need."

"Even if that 'person' was my boyfriend's biggest rival?" I asked, still thrown off by this sudden confession.

"Of course," Draco slid his chair closer to my own and turned toward me, his leg brushing mine. "Despite your supposed devotion to Potter, you still accepted my invitation. You even went so far as to lie to him."

"I did that so he wouldn't get upset-"

"Oh please. You did that because you knew he'd try to stop you…"

I wanted to retort, but was too flustered to speak. "Where exactly is all of this going?" I gasped in frustration.

"To this," Draco smoothly leaned forward, and his lips met mine in an urgent kiss. I instantly tensed up, but the warmth from his touch was too much. My lips relaxed and I felt Draco's tongue enter my mouth, forcing me back to reality.

"I can't do this! I won't do this! " I cried, blood racing to my cheeks. My head was spinning, and I could still feel Draco's lips on mine. I glanced up to see him inches from me with a soft look in his eyes. There was a magnetic pull coming from Draco, and I felt myself leaning in towards him. My lips brushed his, barely touching. I heard Draco's sharp intake of breath as he tried to further close the gap between us. His lips landed on mine, and rested there for a moment. In image of Harry flashed through my mind and once again I broke away, pushing Draco off of me. There was a sound behind me.

I whirled around and thought my heart was going to stop. Standing at the end of a row of books was Ron. He was sweaty from Quidditch practice, and still carrying his broom. He was probably checking to see if Hermione was studying, but found me here instead. His face was a violent mix of shock and rage.

"You!" he shouted, too angry to say more.

"Ron! This isn't want it looks like…" I trailed off. My hand was still on Draco's chest. It WAS what it looked like. "Let me explain, it was an accident,"

"Yeah, I bet" he scoffed. Ron's voice was back, and he looked like he was going to let me have it. "It must have been some accident to get your faces stuck together like that. I can't believe you'd do something like this to Harry, and with him of all people." Ron turned to leave, knocking his broom into the bookshelf. Books fell to the floor thud, making a cloud of dust in Ron's wake. I jumped out of my chair after him.

"Oh, don't bother, he doesn't matter anyway…" I heard Draco call after me as I ran out of the library. The corridor was empty with the exception of a small group of first years heading toward me. Ron was already past them, and there was no way that I could catch up with him. Unless…

"Rictusempra!" I shouted, aiming my wand at Ron's retreating back. My charm flew over the heads of the first years, causing them to scream. It narrowly missed Ron's shoulder and slammed into the wall. He stopped running and whirled around, his own wand raised.

"You asshole!" he screamed at me. "I cannot believe you would stoop so low."

"Oh please, you and I both know I could have hit you with worse."

"I was talking about Malfoy."

"Ron, I swear to you, nothing happened. Dra- Malfoy made the first move. I didn't ask to be kissed. I love Harry." There were tears in by eyes, and they were on the verge of spilling over.

"Well, you have a funny way of showing it." Ron lowered his wand a bit. "What were you doing with him anyway?"

"He told me that he needed help with his Ancient Runes. I didn't know he planned to do that…"

"Did Harry know you were meeting with him?" Ron asked. I grimaced. Ron's eye flared with anger again, and he aimed his wand at my chest. "Damn it, Adrian! What the hell were you thinking?"

"You know how upset that would have made him, Ron. Harry has enough to worry about, with adding me to his troubles." The tears finally fell as I tried to suppress a sob.

"Well, it looks like he has a reason to be concerned, doesn't he?" I cried harder, and met Ron's gaze. I'm sure I looked pathetic. His face softened, and he slowly lowered his wand. "Well, it's clear that you feel bad about it…Still, you let that slimy git kiss you! You have to tell Harry."

"I know. I just don't know how I'm going to be able to do it. What if he doesn't forgive me?" I sniffed.

"Oh, bullocks, he'll have to. You made a mistake, and you've learned from it. I guess the worst part was that it was Malfoy, but it's kind of like what happened with Harry and George." Ron smiled meekly.

I smiled back, but something didn't register right, "Excuse me?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened with Harry and George?"

"You know, last summer," Ron hinted.

"I'm sorry Ron, I'm afraid I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

"Oh Merlin," Ron stammered, "I thought you knew…"


End file.
